• Michael R. Schwartz

Empire State Division Continues Flood Response across Upstate New York

Empire State Division, NY (July 13, 2017) – The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services Teams from across the Empire State Division continue to be engaged in disaster relief operations on this thirteenth day since the flash flooding that struck across five counties across Upstate New York.  Teams and resources from across the entire Division have provided response and recovery services to impacted communities in Cayuga, Herkimer, Madison, Rensselaer and Oneida Counties. 

"Although the needs in each impacted community has varied across the scope and timeline of this disaster, EDS has strived to provide timely services to meet those needs.  These services have included the broad scope of our abilities across the Division, from feeding of survivors and first responders, to providing emotional and spiritual care, providing short term recovery and resources to working with our partners at the American Red Cross, UMCOR, Team Rubicon, the United Way and government agencies and officials across the impacted areas.  Ultimately, our number one focus has been on the survivors and our mission has truly been to aliviate suffering.  These are our friends and neighbors, our own families have been impacted.  That truly brings home the reality that a disaster can happen anywhere at any time.' said Empire Division EDS Director Michael R. Schwartz

As our EDS Teams now transition from response efforts to short and then long term recovery, the message is that this disaster is not over.  The Salvation Army is committed to and still engaged in providing help to those in need and as members ourselves of these impacted communities, we are here and will continue to be.

As of Thursday July 13, 2017, The Salvation Army has provided:

Meals: 1,056

Snacks: 1,141

Bottles of Water: 3,290

Clean Up Kits: 799

Hygiene Kits: 644

Salvation Army Thrift Store Vouchers: 112

Gift Cards: 100

Emotional and Spiritual Care Contacts: 589

Liaison to Partners: 1

Disaster Response Vehicles Deployed: Rochester, Canandaigua, Oneonta and Sidney.

Volunteer Hours: 728

For further information or to help, please text "CNYFLOOD" to 41444 or go to http://bit.ly/cnyfloodrelief